Obituary of Ann McGuiness

Ann McGuiness, 65, of Selkirk, NY, died peacefully in the presence of her immediate family, husband William Reynolds, daughter Nora Reynolds, son Nicholas Reynolds and his partner Emily Cash the morning of August 3, 2022 at Saint Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY.  Ann was overcome by a fast spreading cancer in her lungs.

Ann was well known for her fierce devotion to her family and friends, as well as her professional commitment to reproductive justice.

She grew up in Newington, CT, the proud Irish-Catholic daughter of steamfitter Edward McGuiness and public schoolteacher Catherine McGuiness, along with her siblings Patrick (and wife Nancy) and Timothy McGuiness, and Mary Kate (and husband Matthew) Hallisey; as the family grew, Ann kept close to an expanding network of uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews Ian, Brendan, Eamonn, Jack, Colin, and niece Maeve.

Summers and weekends were spent at the family cottage on Lake Hayward, where adults and youth alike enjoyed swimming, walking, cooking out, and keeping up with old friends and neighbors.

She attended college at the University (then College) of Saint Joseph, and graduate school at Columbia University, before heading to Washington, DC, where she began her life-long career of public advocacy for women’s reproductive rights, and met her future husband.

A career shift brought the family to the Albany area in 2000, with Ann concentrating on her fundraising profession that took her often to New York City and Washington, DC, and continued to the time of her death.  In recent years Ann worked to make birth control pills available over the counter, and established a working group that will continue this effort following her death.

Ann mentored many young women who entered public advocacy and fundraising work, and leaves a network of activists who will continue this work into the future.

Beyond her professional work, Ann joined her family in annual back-country skiing expeditions deep into Canadian wilderness areas, and sailing voyages on the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico – with the proviso that at the end all would luxuriate at a spa or at least enjoy a special glass of wine. She found peace in her garden, on her yoga mat, reading a book, and sharing a meal with lifelong friends.

Ann will be sorely missed by her family, friends and colleagues, and remains an inspiration to all who knew her.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 10:00 am at St. Mary Church, 626 Willard Ave, Newington, CT.  For her Albany circle, the family will host an open house at their home on Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.  Colleagues will be invited to a celebration of life in Washington, D.C. at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her memory to Planned Parenthood Federation of America or a local abortion fund.  For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.